Egg-cup.



J. E. P. FENDER.

' EGG GUP.

'APPLIOATION FILED FBBJ, 1912.

' I 1,030,324. Patented June 25, 1912.

ATTEJRN EY.

COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH CO" WASHINGTON. n. c.

srns rATnN'r FIG JAMES E. I. FENDER, 0F PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO BRISTOL JEW- ELRY COMPANY, INCORPORATED, A CORPORATION OF RHODE ISLAND.

EGG-CUP.

roeoeea.

Application filed February 7, 1912.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, JAMES E. P. PENDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Egg- Cups, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a device for bold ing eggs and opening the same, and has for its essential object a convenient, light, ornamental and inexpensive means for receiving, supporting, opening and severing a portion of an egg.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter he pointed out in the specification, and to all of the ends above referred to, my invention consists in such parts and combinations of parts as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification,Figures 1 and 2 are side and plan elevations respectively of my novel cup, Figs. 3 and 4: are sectional views of the same on line so w of Fig. 2, showing the cup parts in disengaged and engaged positions respectively, and Figs. 5 and 6 are sections on lines 3 y and e 2 respectively of Fig. 1.

Like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the views.

My cup comprises a substantially semielliptical body 1, to which is soldered or otherwise fixed a standard or base 2, and provided at diametrically opposite points near its upper edge with slots 3. Soldered or, otherwise fixed in the bottom portion of the body is a concavo-convex plate 5, provided with a plurality of upwardly directed, curved, radial, resilient arms 6, in the pres ent instance four in number. Two additional curved resilient arms 8 are integral with the plate 5, and are diametrically opposite each other and extend preferably slightly above the top of the body 1. The arms 8 are broad at their top portions and transversely curved as at 9 to correspond with the curvature of the cup body, and are provided at their top extremities with a series of inwardly directed teeth or serrations 11. It is to be noted that the arms or fingers 6 and 8 are so curved as to extend gradually inwardly from the wall of the body as they proceed upwardly. Near the upper ends of the fingers 8 are fixed hori- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 25, 1912.

Serial No. 6?5,925.

zontal, fiat projections 12 extending loosely through the openings 3 in the body. A substantially semi-elliptical or semi-oval cover 15 is connected by a hinge 17 to the upper edge of the body 1, and when in closed position has its inner surface practically con tinuous with the inner surface of the body 1. In the present instance, a slide head 19 upon the lower portion of the cover slightly overlaps the upper edge of the body 1 when the cover is closed, but this flange is, of course, nonessential to the successful operation of the cup. The cover 15 is provided with a plurality of horizontal openings 20 annularly arranged. A plurality of upwardly and inwardly directed oblong fingers 22, in the present instance three, are fixed to the exterior of the cover equidistant and close to the apex of the same, and form pivotal pieces or bearings for the downwardly extending plates 24, which are provided respectively with oblong openings 25 in their upper port-ions of such dimensions as to loosely permit passage therethrough of the members 22. Fixed to the lower margins of the curved plates 24, which conform in outline with the cover 15 and which rest by gravity upon the outer surface of the latter, are inwardly directed interspaced prongs 27, registering with the openings 22 and extending therethrough some distance into the interior of the cover. For easy manipulation a knob 30 is either integral with or at tached to the top or apex of the cover 15. In the present instance the knob has a horizontal base portion'81, and is provided with.

a threaded central cavity 33 to receive a screw 34:, whose end is soldered to the apex of the body 15. It will be observed, in Figs. 3 and 1, that the base 31 of the knob 30 is somewhat interspaced from the top of the cover 15 in order to give ample space for the free outward and upward play of the plates 24, but it is obvious that this interspaced construction of the knob is not essential to my invention, and that the knob may be screwed down into actual contact with the cover 15 if or when it is preferred to locate the members 22 at a somewhat greater distance from the apex'of the cover.

The operation of my cup is as follows An egg, preferably boiled, is placed, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4:, with its end in the plate 5 in the bottom of the cup, the cover of the latter being turned back.

The teeth 11 of the arms 8 engage an intermediate portion of the egg, and when manipulating the egg, it is found advantageous and sometimes necessary to inwardly press by the thumb and forefinger the projections 12 in order to hold the egg firmly in position in the cup, but this firm grasp is usually required only or most frequently at the in stant the cover 15 is manually elevated. Fig. 4 shows the plates 24L outwardly and upwardly impelled away from the surface of the cover by reason of the contact of the surface of the egg with the points of the prongs 27, which it will be noted normally extend inwardly into the cup a substantially greater distance and sufiiciently to contact with the periphery of the egg. Before elevating the cover, the operator with the thumb .and two or more fingers presses downwardly upon the plates 24 near their lower margins, thus forcing the fiat V- shaped prongs 27, whose lateral edges are preferably sharpened or knife-edged as at 28. into the egg, thus so far severing an upper segment of the latter as to entirely detach the same from the remainder of the egg, when the cover is thereafter manually opened and tilted back. In the tilting position, the cover is prevented from excessive distention by the fact that its exterior surface rests upon one of the projections 12 which forms a support therefor temporarily.

WhatI claim is,

I. In an egg cup, the combination with a hollow body, of a hollow cover pivotally connected with said body and resilient means within the body following the contour of said body and having inwardly extended upper ends and outwardly disposed portions rigid with said resilient means extended through the walls of said body.

2. In an egg cup, the combination with a hollow body, of a hollow non-rotatable cover pivotally connected with the body and provided with openings, yielding means in the body adapted to embrace an egg, plates pivotally mounted at their ends to the exterior of the cover and conforming to the curvature thereof, and teeth upon the plates extending through the openings.

8. In an egg cup, the combination with a hollow body, of a non-rotatable cover pivotally connected to the body and provided with openings intermediate its length, plates pivotally connected at their upper ends to the exterior of the cover and curved to conform with the surface of the cover, and teeth projecting inwardly from the plates and extending through the openings into the interior of the cover.

4. In an egg cup, the combination of a hollow body provided with diametrically op-- posite openings, a non-rotatable cover pivotally connected with the body, a plate in the body provided with upwardly directed, radially disposed, resilient fingers, inwardly directed teeth upon the free ends of two of the fingers, and projections upon the toothed fingers extending loosely through the openings.

5. In an egg cup, the combination with a hollow body provided with openings in its side, of a cover pivotally connected to the body, a plate in the body provided with upwardly directed, resilient fingers, and projections upon the fingers extending through the openings.

6. In an egg cup, the combination of a hollow body provided with openings in its side, of a cover pivotally connected with the body and provided with a series of open ings, radially disposed, yielding fingers fixed to the bottom of the body and extending upwardly therein, projections upon the fingers extending through the openings, plates pivotally connected to the exterior of the cover near its upper end and extending down wardly upon the cover, and inwardly directed teeth upon the lower portions of the plates extending through the last mentioned openmgs.

7 In an egg cup, the combination with a hollow body, of a non-rotatable cover pivotally connected to the body and provided with an annular series of openings, curved fingers upon the upper portion of the cover, plates resting against the exterior of the cover and provided with openings adapted to receive the curved fingers, and teeth upon the plates extending through the openings.

8. In an egg cup, the combination with a hollow body, of a non-rotatable cover pivotally connected to the body and provided with an annular series of openings, radially disposed plates pivotally connected at their upper ends to the upper portion of the cover and resting upon the exterior of the cover, inwardly directed teeth upon the plates extending through the openings, and a knob upon the upper extremity of the cover.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES E. P. FENDER.

Witnesses:

FRED V. PERKINS, HORATIO E. BELLOWS.

' Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

